Latin for Gardeners: August 2025

Latin for Gardeners
August’s Native Maryland Plant

Eutrochium fistulosum (Barratt) E. E. Lamont
(yoo-TRO-kee-um fist-yoo-LOW-sum)

Common Name: Trumpetweed, Hollow Joe-Pye-Weed

Some plants just amaze you when you’re in their presence - Trumpetweed is one of those plants. It’s a staggeringly tall plant that towers over observers and almost any neighboring perennial or shrub. With many weeks left before the end of summer, Trumpetweed is still going strong, its long bloom period is another of its awesome features. The mauve to purple flowers sit atop hollow but robust stems – the stems lack the spots that are found on a related plant, Spotted Joe-Pye-Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), and are one of the ways to differentiate the two species.

Eutrochium species, in general, are magnificent at attracting butterflies due to their abundant nectar and wide, flat flower heads that offer a stable landing pad. They’re an excellent alternative to the invasive Butterfly bush (Buddleia spp.) since they not only supply nectar, but as we’ve learned from Dr. Doug Tallamy (1) , they “also provide food for the larvae of more than three dozen species of Lepidoptera.” The plight of butterflies has been in the news for some time but a recent study underscores just how dire the situation has become. This research was focused on butterflies, but we know moths and other pollinators are similarly suffering dramatic losses. Planting host plants, lots of host plants, is one way to help reverse this trend - reducing the use of pesticides is another.

The height of Eutrochium spp. can be intimidating to most gardeners – do not be afraid. There are many smart methods you can use to add this species to your garden. Below are just a few of the ways to keep the plant upright, if this is one of your concerns. There are also cultivars of some of the other already shorter Eutrochium species that may be more acceptable to gardeners. E.g. Eutrochium dubium ‘Little Joe’.

The history of this plant’s common name, Joe Pye Weed, has long been discussed, with several different stories describing its origin. Interestingly, in 2017, two scholars did their research and published a paper in the Great Lakes Botanist journal. They established that the plant was likely named for Joseph Shauquethqueat, an esteemed Mohican sachem, known to his white neighbors as Joe-Pye. Having spent my youth in New England, the original home to the Mohegans (often confused with the Mohicans), I am somewhat familiar with this Hudson River Valley (present-day Eastern New York and western Massachusetts) tribe and their place in history.

I’m wondering, since many botanical names have been changed due to modern DNA analysis, including this genus, Eutrochium (2) , would there be any objection to changing the common name from Joe-Pye-Weed, to Shauquethqueat, thus removing the ‘weed’ and providing a more accurate provenance for this remarkable species?

(1) ‘Bringing Nature Home’, Doug Tallamy

(2) Known previously as Eupatorium fistulosum. Bonesets which have opposite leaves are still Eupatorium spp.

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
aligmilligan@gmail.com

5 Reasons to Become a WSA Tree Trooper

5 Reasons to Become a WSA Tree Trooper

If you take a walk through almost any neighborhood in Maryland, you’ll likely notice there’s fewer trees than there used to be. Whether due to development, disease, or storms, our state is losing vital tree canopy fast. In fact, Maryland experience a net loss of over 13,000 acres of tree cover between 2013 and 2018, just in its urban areas (Maryland Forest Technical Study, Chesapeake Conservancy). This loss doesn’t just change our community’s look - it impacts our health, our environment, and our quality of life.

The good news? Planting and caring for trees doesn’t have to be left for foresters and city crews. Everyone can be part of the solution. That’s where Tree Troopers come in!

In response to Anne Arundel County’s significant forest loss in recent years, the Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) launched the RePlant programs to educate and engage community members on the importance of native trees and expanding our tree canopy.

What’s a tree trooper?

Tree Troopers are the volunteer leaders behind RePlant Anne Arundel and RePlant Annapolis. They plan and implement tree plantings in communities across the County, and help others understand their value. Since 2020, the RePlant programs have trained over 200 Tree Troopers and planted more than 20,000 trees!

(See how one Tree Trooper planted over 100 trees in Annapolis’ Bay Ride community!)

You don’t need to be an expert or have special equipment to become a Tree Trooper - just a willingness to learn and a desire to make a lasting impact. Anyone interested in becoming a Tree Trooper can take WSA’s free, online training. In Fall 2025, WSA will also be hosting a field session for new Tree Troopers to come together and practice the best methods for tree planting and care - making now the perfect time to dive into training!

Tree Troopers are also often the first to hear about other tree programs hosted by WSA throughout the year, such as Groves of Gratitude, an upcoming Fall program that offers low-cost trees to County residents while also raising money for a local community non-profit.

So why should you consider becoming a Tree Trooper? Here are five powerful reasons why this role matters more than ever, and how you can be part of something deeply rooted in positive change.

THE IMPACTS OF WSA TREE TROOPERS

1. Build Stronger Communities

Tree Troopers are encouraged to plan plantings on a variety of properties, including private yards, community-owned land, schools, congregations, and other shared spaces. The program empowers you to lead outreach efforts and host hands-on volunteer events, creating opportunities for neighbors to spend time outdoors and work toward a shared goal. These events not only improve local green spaces, but also strengthen relationships through shared environmental action.

2. Build healthier communities

Tree Troopers often plant trees in urban neighborhoods, or in areas that are experiencing flooding or erosion during storm events. These trees provide shade that cools outdoor spaces and helps counteract the effects of a warming planet. Trees also improve air and water quality across Anne Arundel County, absorbing pollutants, filtering runoff, and reducing erosion that can harm the Chesapeake Bay. These projects create cooler, cleaner, and more resilient communities for everyone.

3. build beautiful communities

Trees transform neighborhoods by adding natural beauty, texture, and seasonal color to yards, streets, and parks. From the bright blooms of Eastern redbuds to the timeless presence of White oaks, there is a tree for every space! Trees can enhance curb appeal, increase property values, and create more welcoming, livable outdoor environments. Tree Troopers help shape these beautiful spaces, encouraging their community members to spend more time outside with friends, families, and neighbors.

4. build environmentally educated communities

Tree Troopers serve as trusted local resources, helping others understand the importance of planting native trees, and how to care for them properly. With access to WSA’s hub of online and printed resources, Tree Troopers are equipped to support sustainable planting and maintenance efforts. By sharing their knowledge and increasing access in their communities to low-cost trees, Tree Troopers build a culture of care for our shared environment.

5. Build engaged communities

New Tree Troopers join a growing network of passionate volunteers committed to protecting our local ecosystems. Once a Tree Trooper and their community realizes how easy it is to make a positive impact through planting or caring for a tree, they might feel empowered to take action in other ways too. WSA offers training programs, education and outreach events, and plant distribution initiatives throughout the year. Through continued involvement, new Tree Troopers, and their community members, can build new skills, connect with and learn from like-minded volunteers, and make a lasting difference in the health of our watershed.

- Faith Waaramaa
WSA Restoration Coordinator

Sugg-Jeff-Tion: Summer 2025

Can we have too much of a good thing?

We did it! We survived the drought that has been stressing us (and our plants) out for the last year or more. According to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), drought watches have officially been lifted for our region as of June 30, 2025!

In January 2025, much of Anne Arundel county was experiencing a 12-inch deficit in average rainfall since January 2024. Fast forward to July 2025. In just seven months, we have not only caught up to our average amount of rainfall from January 1 - July 15 2025, which is around 20 inches, but some areas of our County are exceeding 7-inches above normal rainfall for that period of time! Newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials are loving all of the extra rainfall that we’ve experienced in the past few months. It has also been great for the local frog and salamander populations who have taken advantage of the ideal conditions to reproduce successfully after two very dry springs in 2023 and 2024.

However, those of you managing restoration projects may have mixed feeling about all of this rain. Excess rainfall can drown out plants, creating waterlogged soils that deprive roots of oxygen, leading to root-rot and nutrient deficiencies. Combined wit hour hot summer days, excess moisture can cause fungal diseases that can quickly spread, hindering growth and potentially causing plant stress or even death.

Excess rain can also encourage invasive plant species populations to explode, adding to the many competitive advantages they already have over native plants. This makes eradication even more challenging and can really set back existing control efforts, especially with invasive vines that overwhelm our ecosystems.

All this rain may also cause us to miss-read “normal” site conditions, in that saturated soils and wet areas are NOT actually the norm, leading to the wrong plant selection for specific areas. Your swamp milkweed that you planted may love the wet area in your yard this year and absolutely thrive. However, next year that area may not be as wet and the plant will likely stress or perish.

Finally, with heavy rainfall and high temperatures comes increased amounts of pollution washed into our waterways. These excess nutrients can lead to algal blooms, which consume much of the oxygen in the water column, eventually leading to dead zones. When oxygen levels become too low, many aquatic animals cannot survive. This leads to fish kills, foul-smelling water, and even increased jellyfish populations as they are one of the few aquatic species that can survive these conditions.

So, should we celebrate the end of our year-long drought? ABSOLUTELY! However, there can always be too much of a good thing. Be sure to pay attention to the other issues that all this rain may cause and take action as needed.

Take care of yourself, your plants, and continue to be part of the pollution solution! That’s my sugg-Jeff-tion!

Latin for Gardeners: July 2025

Latin for Gardeners

July’s Native Maryland Plant

Actaea racemosa L.

(ak-TAY-ah ray-see-MO-sah)  

Common Name: Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Fairy Candles

Summer is in full swing - it’s a good time to grab a cool drink and find a place in the shade to enjoy watching life in your garden. A shady wooded slope is where the Actaea racemosa blooms in my garden and where I find many pollinators. This plant is often found in moist to dry forests, its racemes reaching high above the shrub layers as its serrated leaves create a nice understory carpet.

A. racemosa took a few years to establish in my yard but has done well without any intervention on my part. It competes well with many other woodland plants and its tall blooms can be seen from a distance as they tower over most other shady perennials.

Black Cohosh is a host plant for the Spring Azure and the Appalachian Azure (Celastrina neglectamajor). This latter butterfly’s larvae are specialists; they only use this specific plant as a host. Interestingly, their larvae are known for eating the flowers and buds of the plant, whereas most caterpillars are known for eating the leaves of their host. See Sara Bright’s stunning photos of the butterflies and caterpillars here: https://alabama.butterflyatlas.usf.edu/species/details/38/appalachian-azure

It’s not only butterflies that will be attracted to Black Cohosh – bumblebees and beetles will seek it out too. Its blooms emit a pungent scent; hence the plant was given the unfortunate common name ‘bugbane’ – it was once thought to repel insects.

Like last month’s plant, Gillenia trifoliata, this plant’s botanical name has changed multiple times. Its taxonomic genus, Actaea, was originally proposed by Linnaeus but was reclassified and changed to Cimicifuga, which comes from the Latin “Cimex” (bug) and “fugere”, (to flee or repel) in other words, a bug repellant.  In 2000, based on gene phylogeny analysis¹, it was reclassified again and changed back to Actaea; Cimicifuga is now an obsolete genus. This plant may have a convoluted nomenclature history but it’s a simple choice to plant one - or more.

Stay cool Stewards and don’t forget to help wildlife stay cool – add a water source to your yard to help them survive the heat. This immature, Red-shouldered hawk (note it’s yellow irises) made its presence known with its loud calls well before I saw it cooling off in my fountain. It’s primarily a forest dweller but can be found where houses have forested areas that make for good hunting grounds. Unlike the Appalachian Azure butterfly, these raptors, like most, are generalists and feed on many types of prey including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals like voles and squirrels. As you’d expect, it will be well-fed if it stays in my yard.

¹  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actaea_racemosa

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013

Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper

Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)

aligmilligan@gmail.com